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As Nigerians in their millions are clenching, gnashing their teeth as the 2017 inches to go without any identifiable achievements, APC spokesperson, media recruits are firing on all cylinders on state-owned APC media outfits to hoodwink Nigerians without exaggerated achievements of Buhari-led government. Unfortunately, hunger, deprivation, disease, starvation can be satiated with food, nutrition.

As Nigerians in their millions are clenching, gnashing their teeth as the 2017 inches to go without any identifiable achievements, APC spokesperson, media recruits are firing on all cylinders on state-owned APC media outfits to hoodwink Nigerians without exaggerated achievements of Buhari-led government. Unfortunately, hunger, deprivation, disease, starvation can be satiated with food, nutrition.

As long as these are the lots of Nigerians, the last 2 and ½ years of APC government are a sad memories. APC assumption office cannot be totally written off, it has succeeded in asserting itself as anti-corruption driven, fighting insurgents and opposed vehemently the issue of pro-Biafra agitation through the use of sledge-hammer approach, its spectacularity in sanitizing the judiciary notwithstanding, it has failed woefully and abysmally in making Nigerians comfortable. If indeed the so-called achievements are resulted oriented, the fact that many of APC party members are not under interrogation shows how ineffectual, sectional and partial such crusades are.Since the inception of Buhari Presidency, Nigerians are poorer, on the reverse and nose dive with no end in sight of their agonies and ironies. It is indeed not an exaggeration to emphasize that millions of Nigerians on death traps, malnutritioned and with bleak future. So long as APC holds sway. Nigerians, except the few in governmental circle have lost confidence in APC government. If this an objective assessment of APC and the fortune of Nigerians, is there light at the end of the tunnel?In offering anti-dote to APC mismanagement of Nigeria governmentally, economically, financially and otherwise, the 18th November Anambra gubernatorial election should be brought in focus. The political parties that took part in the election were 37 in number. It is recalled that there are more than 46 registered political parties in Nigeria. But of the 37 parties only APGA, APC, PDP, UPP in this order secured reasonable number of votes 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th positions respectively. There are two major parties- the Ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and the main opposition party, PDP. That APGA is still in possession of Anambra is not on the same pedestal with the two major parties. The rest of the parties are in the fringe, virtually not in control of any state gubernatorially. The parties from the Anambra election are existing in name not visibly existing nationwide and in the 774 councils. As a matter of fact their participation in 2019 elections is a miracle judging from the fact that the nation's elections are highly monetized. The Presidential election come 2019 is not for fringe political parties. It is even awesome for the third existing political party in hierarchy, APGA.Feasibly and visibly, the battle for the 2019 is indisputably between the Ruling party and the main opposition party. It is only Nigerians, not the military, or the Nigerian police that will determine which of the two parties assumes leadership in 2019 Nigerians have assessed, adjudged and concluded after the inspection and introspection of the performances of the two parties and their rating. That the robust legacies bequeathed to APC and frittered away within 2½ years in office suggests that to entrust power to APC in 2019 is to finally crash the nation.The defeat of PDP in 2015 was an eye-opener, has been a blessing in disguise. Thought costly, devastating, had it not been the patriotism in former President Goodluck Jonathan, there would not have a country called Nigeria left for President Muhammadu Buhari to administer. Only recently did President Muhammadu Buhari in his congratulation message to former President Jonathan in his birth anniversary through his Senior Special Assistant on Media & Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina commended the exemplary, exceptional statesmanship and leadership of Jonathan. Coming after the government of Buhari had chosen to disparage Jonathan's administration and family is rather belated and ingratitude.For the PDP to reconnect, rebounce, it is necessary at this juncture to analyze what was at the root of its failure in 2015 to an extent it lost its traditional catchment areas? How did PDP succumb to external manipulation post -2015 with the assumption of Alhaji Modu Sheriff as the interim chairmanship of PDP? The saving grace of PDP today is Jonathan, the South-east, South-South zones and Ekiti State.Since the chairmanship position still belongs to the North, the party became polarized along Alhaji Modu Sheriff and Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi both claiming as the authentic caretaker chairman of PDP.In the 18th July, 2017 edition of the Nigeria Moment Newspaper titled: “Makarfi Supreme Court victory, not yet Uhuru for PDP” was illuminating and elucidating. Before then, in the Discourse column of 19-22 August, 2016 edition with the title: Embattled and embittered Modu Sheriff: A case of a dog wagging its tail, I did write that the emergence of Modu Sheriff was a misnomer, misplaced and to the disadvantage and destruction of the rebuilding process of PDP. When the position of Modu Sheriff was re-affirmed by the Appeal Court, I took up the verdict in the Discourses Column of 24-27 February, 2017 titled: Modu Sheriff Appeal Court victory and what it portends I saw such verdict as orchestrated and instigated by forces still prosecuting and persecuting PDP. I advised PDP to proceed to the Supreme Court and it did with the Supreme Court setting aside the judgment of the Appeal Court over who is the authentic caretaker chairman of PDP. Political parties are about individuals. All the governors are with Makarfi. All states chairmen of PDP are solidly with Makarfi.The 9th December National Convention on the front burner, it can only be uhuru if PDP emerges out of the 9th December National Convention to elect the National Chairman to assume the position permanently from the South without acrimony, controversy and dissenting voices. The success of the convention is a litmus test a stepping stone and a microcosm of PDP victory in 2019. The chances of APC are deeming each passing day because those who conceptualized and actualized the formation and registration of APC as a political party in 2013 have either been schemed out, marginalized, sidelined, silence or subdued by forces with Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, the Olusola Saraki's, there would not have been victory for Buhari.And if not for the South-east, South-South zones and Ekiti State that resolved to remain with PDP against threats and intimidation to abandon PDP and Jonathan, today PDP would have gone into extinction and nowhere to be found as a fall back to decampees like Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.With the zoning arrangement put in place, the South is expected to produce the National Chairman of the PDP on the 9th December Convention. There are eight aspirants to the position. They are all eminently qualified but what PDP needs is the best out of the best. Such aspirants are Gbenga Daniel, Tunde Adeniran, Uche Secondus, Jimi Agbaje, Rashidi Ladoja, Raymond Dokpesi, Toeheed Adedoja and Olabode George. In choosing or deciding who among the 8 aspirants the cap fits, the primary election should be transparent, devoid of the under-hand use of money. This is because Nigerians need to be convinced beyond reasonable doubts that PDP is sincerely committed to abandoning its old way of foisting or imposing unpopular candidates on Nigerians.After this 9th December Convention, the next is the National Convention for the selection of PDP, Presidential candidate scheduled in 2018. The entire South and former President Goodluck Jonathan should, arrow-head in picking the PDP candidate. In doing so, age, education, wider acceptability should be factored in. As long as the North-West zone has queued up for President Muhammadu Buhari, adopted him as a consensus candidate, the PDP should ruled out the North-west zone. Any of the PDP Presidential aspirants from the North-west whether old or decamped members should suspend their ambition as a sacrifice to return PDP to power. The North-east and North-Central should be given opportunity to provide aspirants and from the various aspirants members of the party will choose the party's candidate.Since the defection of Atiku and his official declaration on Sunday 3rd December, 2017to PDP, there have been controversies over the advantage and disadvantage of his defection. According to Jackson Ojo, a Port Harcourt based social commentator on Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Abuja news on Sunday 3rd December, Ojo described the defection of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to PDP as unsettling the APC. Comparing Atiku Abubakar chances and that of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, Jackson Ojo enumerated, marshaled achievements of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the area of university institutions, industries which are human development as superlative. It is therefore axiomatic that age, intellectual capacity exuberance, clout are what make Atiku Abubakar's rising profile as advantage over PMB aging and fragile health. While announcing reasons that guided his defection, Nigerians of discerning minds agree with Atiku Abubaakr that in all indices APC under President Muhammadu Buhari has failed Nigerians. The defection of Atiku to PDP in the days ahead will trigger off implosion in the APC. In a nutshell, to continue to entrust the credibility, reliability, maintainability and sovereignty of APC beyond 2019 is unmitigated disaster. This is evidently manifest the way APC abandoned exemplary leadership style of PDP by way of each of the Arms of government -growing at its own pace without intrusion or executive arrogance and meddlesomeness. APC has failed in pursuance of dialogue in resolving crisis including the IPOB, Delta quest for equity and the avoidable herdsmen and farmers clash. President Buhari has played into the hands of Nigerians and confirmed the suspicion that he is not a democrat, a patriot. He has proven that he is rather a sectional leader by his utterances, appointments and body language.PDP should pray for health for President Muhammadu Buhari to able to stand election in 2019. To stampede APC to set aside Buhari for a younger person may affect PDP victory over Buhari.What will be the fate of the rest of the political parties apart from APC and PDP in 2019? They will not stand aloof. They certainly will negotiate with either APC or PDP. Of course they will pitch tent with PDP to sweep away APC in Aso Rock in 2019.Sydney O. Madukwem, guest writer, Dile Emeohe, Mbaoma Emii Owerri North LG. 07069123994.